1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an information processing system, a host device, and a program for causing execution of an information processing method, and particularly to an information processing system, a host device, and a program for causing execution of an information processing method, which enable communication between the host device and a client device only while an operator operates the client device.
2. Related Art
At present, in a computer field, there is a host-based type information system composed of a host device and a client device. In many host-based type information systems, an operator operates the client device to designate an information processing, and the designation is transmitted from the client device to the host device. Also, the host device, in accordance with the designation, carries out the information processing, and notifies the client device of a result thereof.
An example of this kind of host-based type information system is JP-A-2003-157184. In the client-server configuration of JP-A2003-157184 is further configured such that, by communicating information related to a finish or execution condition of a program between the client computer and the server computer, the system monitors a result of the execution of the program. Also, with regard to each item of information to be communicated, a delivery thereof is confirmed in a communication protocol by both the client computer and the server computer.
Meanwhile, recently, an electronic data display medium, which includes a display screen, which is thin to such an extent that it can foe handled in approximately the same way as paper, has been put to practical use. This kind of display medium is also called electronic paper. Also, a host-based type information system configured by connecting the electronic paper as the client device to a computer or the like which serves as the host device has been considered. This kind of system can be said to serve a demand to avoid an increase in size caused by providing a large-sized control device in order to handle the electronic paper in the same way as paper.
It is undesirable that the electronic paper be provided with a complicated operating portion or control portion, as there is a demand for a reduction in weight and a simplification of the configuration so as to enable handling in generally the same way as paper. For this reason, a host-based type information system including electronic paper has been proposed in which the electronic paper communicates with the host device only while an operating button or the like provided on the electronic paper is touched with a dedicated pen or the like, and which transmits and receives communication information, including an identification signal from the client device indicating that an operation such as, for example, a rewriting of the display screen has been carried out, which corresponds to a process corresponding to the operation.
However, in the case that this kind of electronic paper is applied to the client device of JP-A-2003-157184, when the pen comes out of contact with the operating button in the middle of the communication, a situation occurs in which the communication is disrupted, such normal completion of signal reception in the host device becomes impossible. In this way, in the event that the transmission and reception of the communication information is not normally completed, the heretofore known host-based type information, system generally executes a process such as trying to retransmit the communication information.
Also, in the ease that a configuration is such that a plurality of the client devices can be connected to the host device, it is also considered that, although communication with one client device has not been normally completed, a signal is transmitted to the host device from another client device. In this kind of case, it is general that the host device side generates an error, judging that a request is inconsistent.
This kind of situation reduces processing efficiency of a host-based type information system using the electronic paper, resulting in a reduction in operability thereof.